Tale of a Thousand Tongues

[Brix]

Please contribute your ideas for a new great d20 setting from gamers. You can find the most active board at seakreynolds Homepage
http://pub17.ezboard.com/fseankreynoldsboardsfrm1.showMessage?topicID=58.topic
I'm looking forward to your great ideas

 

[Brix]

It begins like this

Corynn sat in the semi-shade of the Bullride Tavern and nervously assayed the strings of his old lute. Most dearly he would have liked to hide and fuse himself entirely in the darkened corner next to the smoking fireplace, forever merging with the protecting shadow in order to avoid playing before this aggregation of cutpurses, cutthroats and other such thugs.
The most peculiar shapes cavorted themselves in the narrow public room before the yet smaller, shaky, wood scaffolding that should serve Corynn as a stage. None of these crooks made the impression of looking forward to the presentation of the young bard. Instead, Corynn had the feeling that his appearance would only prove disturbing to the conspiratorial murmurings of the guests.
Corynn had not imagined the life of a bard to be like this when he passed the portcullis of Gatetown. In tales of the Old Times, Bards enjoyed the highest reputation and were even at the courts of Avardia welcoming guests. They announced the Song of the Upheavel and carried many secrets with them. The greatest of their secrets was spell-singing, which they had learned from the Annoon, the Firstborn.

 

[Brix]

Hi good folks. Don't be lazy ;o)
The folks at Monte cooks and sean reynolds boards have also replied with some very interessting ideas

lets start with John Scott (USA, from Montes board).
I like his ideas for the Bullride tavern. Have you some other ideas for this place?

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- Why has Corynn left his rural, pastoral home in order to become a bard?


Corynn being friends with the head priest's child in his home town of Malrorn allowed the young bard the chance to read more than the average peasant. One book detailed the life of the traveling bard as that of an explorer, one that lives life by their own rules, and as a type of romantic hero. All of which filled the young head of Corynn's with images of great adventure, glorious locals, and life at its fullest. Aravir, a bard of great renown, pasted through the small town Corynn lived in. Seeing his chance at a life beyond the small town, Corynn put a few changes of clothing and a couple of apples in a sack, straped his shortsword, a present from his father a few years back, on his waist and followed Aravir out of the small farming town. Aravir eventually discovered the teenager tailing him. Instead of sending the boy back, the famous bard took the young man in and trained him.



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- How did he learn his trade?


Aravir allowed Corynn to journey with him for a year while teaching the young boy the many secrets of being a bard. Aravir just opened the door for the young man, and after a year Corynn was on his own. Such is the way of the bard, for much of the knowledge must be learned the same as the ways of the old. Through constant travel and exploration.


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- What is special with the Bullride Tavern? (innkeeper, guests)
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This locally famous inn is operated by Taromir. A retired ranger, known for having a large bull that followed the ranger everywhere. Taromir is now in his late sixties and the bull is no longer alive, it died fifteen years ago. The head of the bull, along with the horns that stretch two feet on either side of his skull, now resides over the large fireplace. The bull, named Rustau, was an icon for the town and has a burial mount around the back of the inn.

Guests-
Tarli & Fan-Two pixies who's life was saved by Taromir during his adventuring days. A few years ago, the two siblings(Tarli is female, Fan a male) found out Taromir lived nearby in Gatetown. They now frequent the tavern nearly weekly. When the two visit the tavern, Bullride quickly becomes vacated. The pixies love to pull pranks on the drunken villagers. A group of dwarves who bring their crafts to town from the nearby Ironclang clan had a nasty run in with the two. The group's beards were all shaved off and their hair color was pink and purple for a month. Now, when they come Taromir gets a few days off. He does not have the heart to tell them not to, but he is slowing coming to that point.

Morthor- This half-orc blacksmith is disliked by many in Gatetown, because of the town's constant vigilence from attacks from the nearby barren land. He is, however, the best blacksmith in town and one of the best hearted you could find. The Ironclang dwarves, stir the up villagers to keep Morthor's weapons and armors from being bought. The half-orc keeps plugging away and tries to make friends with as many in town as possible. He sees getting the town's respect as a challenge. Occassionally, though, this ridicule ways heavily on Morthor and he visits the tavern to drown his feelings.

- features of Gatetown? What is special with this small town that borders to the barren land that leads to the forbidden forest?
The small, but extremely fortified city, was once a much more sprawling place. Large amounts of traffic came through this town, since being one of the few routes further west. Since the Blackskull witch came to the forbidden forest, along with the orcs named after the witch they work for, most of the traffic has found other way of going west.

The Blackskull Witch, named for the tale that says she has a face of a black skull. This powerful female orc leads the Blackskull tribe. Her magic, empowered by other female witches, has changed the forest from what it once was. Now, its vines have thorns, the trees are gnarled and twisted with demonic visages in the bark, fiendish creatures stalk the few creatures left, and a dark, black fog is constant reminder of the evil of the place.

The Barren Land was once fertile farm land, among the most fertile. The magic of the kabal of witches under the Blackskull's command has tainted its soil.

None truly know what, or who, the Blackskull witch it. It is assumed it is a female, although none are absolutely sure. Some say it is a fiend, others a powerful female orc spellcaster. Whatever is the case, she(it) is a force to be reckoned with in the Gatetown area.


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- who




The Anoon are the blessed few among mortality given the gifts of eternal life and awe-inspiring powers. They are granted these gifts with the responsibility of protecting and ruling the rest of creation. However, after many millenia, the Anoon dwindeled into debauchery, hedonism, and lost the favor of the gods. Some was known to have the power to kill with but a word. At any one time, there shall be no more than 200 Anoon. When one Anoon dies, only through unnatural means, the power of creation moves from the dead to a new target.


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- What are the courts of Avardia?


These courts were the imperial courts of the Anoon. The entire civilized world was in this courts powerful hand. With the taint of the Anoon came assasination attempts, orgies, and the eventual end of the Avardian empire.


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- Why did the Bards power dwindle?


The Anoon, wishing to spread the word of their power similar to the clerics for the gods, taught exceptional mortals the abilites of the Bard. These bard would then go out into the rest of the civilized world and speak of the greatness of te Anoon. The many enemies of the world they defeated, the magics they can work, etc. Bards would also go into uncivilized realms as dignataries of the Avardian Empire seeking to bring them in with the vast kingdom. With the corruption of the first-born, a hushed voice of revolt ran through the population. The Song of Upheaval, first sung by the great bardic hero Belaithar, and followed by the rest of the bards, brought the world against the Avardian Empire and the Anoons. With the destruction of the empire came the realization that the bards had brought much of the world into the empire and was therefore partly responsible for the ill treatment to the mortals. This caused many bards to become hermits, or hide their profession from all out of their own self incrimination.



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- why did the Bards forgot their ability to use spell singing?


The main reason is because the few bards that continued to journey and tell tales, still did not want to use this powerful ability taught to them by the Anoon. Therefore, it was no longer used by the few remaining traveling bards, and those few did not teach it to their students.

 

[Brix]

The next one is from Eldric IV (Arizona)
He has some excellent ideas that would easily make up for a great epic adventure
Your ideas are welcomed

Questions:
- Why has Corynn left his rural, pastoral home in order to become a bard?

[He had always been fascinated by the tales told by bards passing through his rural home. He became enchanted with the bardic life as they told him of how glorious and rewarding the life of a traveling poet was: choosing your own way, living in the eternal, adoring admiration of others, traveling with interesting and heroic adventurers. Of course, now Corynn realizes that either they were lying or he just did not possess the full ability to realize that dream life.]

- How did he learn his trade?

[While the bards who passed through his town taught him many of the basics indirectly (Corynn was always an attentive listener), he is mostly self-taught, filling in the missing pieces with what he believes a true bard would do.]

- What is special with the Bullride Tavern? (Innkeeper, guests)

[The Bullride Tavern is the secret meeting place of two rival gangs in Gatetown. The innkeeper makes sure to keep the gangs separated at all times, and has given each a different entrance into the secret room hidden in the wine cellar below. Neither gang has any idea that their nemesi use the same room for arraging heists, but it is only a matter of time before the innkeeper slips up and leaves a clue behind.]

- Features of Gatetown? What is special with this small town that borders to the barren land that leads to the forbidden forest?

[Probably the most substantial secret within the town relates to the town constable, Gareth Riven. Gareth and his men defend the town from the creatures that brave the open area between the forest and the town. What most people do not know is that a group of hobgoblins from the forest are secretly in league with Gareth. They drive already weakened creatures such as kobolds, goblins, and large, predatory animals from the cover of the trees so that Gareth's men have little difficulty driving them off. In exchange, Gareth is embezling money and supplies from the provincial government to equip the hobgoblins. This arrangement keeps Gareth in the comfortable position of town constable and ensures that the hobgoblins remain a force in the dangerous forest. No one knows when one side or the other will be willing to call off the arrangement to persue other ends.]

- Why did the Bards power dwindle?

[The power of the Bards dwindled due to the influence of a secret sect of bards called The Lyre. The members of The Lyre were all potential bards who had been turned away from the Bardic College for one reason or another. They chose the name Lyre because it was one of the most basic tests for entrance to the school.

The Lyre worked from the darkness to discredit the most powerful and influential Bards of their time. They were masters of planning and deceit, making up in those areas what they lacked in musical ability. Their scheme had the effect of making almost every top-ranking Bard seem involved in a plot to assassinate the rulers that they worked for in an attempt to put the Bards in a position of domination that bordered on an empire. Although the rumor was later proven to be false, the people realized just how much trust they had placed in the Bards. They no longer felt safe with one organization (if you could call it that) in so many positions of power throughout all the land. So, in a matter of decades, the once mighty position held by the Bards came to an end.]

- Why did the Bards forget their ability to use spell singing?

[A more dastardly attempt by The Lyre to destroy the Bards resulted in the loss of the ability to spell-sing. One of the few musically competent members of The Lyre, Marhault Ellsdragon, journeyed far and wide to the keeping place of Heward's Mystical Organ, the Bardic College of Castrani. Within the Hall of the Organ, Marhault played a song of such sweetness that the earth began to weep with joy. He then turned the notes sour, purposefully misplaying the magical organ. The magic flowing through the music became vengeful and stole the power of the spell-song from the Bards, along with the life from Marhault. If one could find the Mystical Organ and play the sweet melody once again, maybe the unknown force(s) that stole the spell-song would return it.]

- Who are the Annoon?

[The Annoon are a race of celestial elves that were confined to the College of Castrani. They were the original teachers of the Bards. But, after the song of Marhault, they and the college vanished.]

- What are the courts of Avardia?

[Avardia was once a great and powerful empire that stretched across the lands on the other side of the ocean. Avardia had established colonies on the continent and that is where they first met the Bards. The music of the Bards was well received in Avardia and it was not long until some of the Bards traveled across the ocean and attended the courts of Avardia, a feat that the rulers of the continent had not yet accomplished.]

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But is he really dead, or is he still "alive" (maybe not that alive)?
If still alive in some form or another:
How has the dark tune changed or transformed him?
Are his vile songs (of corruption) still carried by a band of loyal followers through the land? (the members of the Lyre)
What was his major plan when he tried to currupt the artifact?



Okay, assuming that Marhault survived in some alternate form (most likely a powerful, variant form of ghost- maybe a male form of banshee), the magic of the music has twisted his soul and now he is only able to speak through twisted, deadly song. His movement is accompanied by dark melodies (even though he is incorporeal and would usually move silently). In an ironic twist, he is completely deaf.

Marhault's trapped soul guards the Mystical Organ, either trying to stop someone from reversing his deed or trying to stop someone from making a bigger mistake.

It is possible that an offshoot group of The Lyre (inspired to continue the organization by the fanaticism shown by Marhault's sacrifice) continues to guard his vile song, ready to unleash it and its prodigy on the world if ever it served their purposes. They have spent the years studying the song, reveling in how perfect yet evil it is. They have tried their hands at creating songs to rival it; the most evil come close but none have yet matched Marhault's song.

Marhault's original plan for the Mystical Organ was to imbue himself with the essence of the spell-song; but, at some point in his playing, he realized that the secret could never be his and in his jealous rage he sought to destroy the ability and wipe it from the world forever.


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1. There are no bards as such. Every so-called-bards is nothing more than someone with musical or other artistic abilities. There is virually no class bard, for their secrets are lost. Only if someone manages to play the Song of Reversal on the magical organ he learns of the secrets of bardcraft and teach it to others (if he does not fall prey to the melancholy curse of the artifact)
After such an incident the first "true bard" is born again.

2. The bards have their regular powers, but the "true bard" (or as we will call it) is something like a prestige class with emphasis on magical powers. Something like the Song Mage (from Monte Cooks Book of Eldritch Might 2)

3. Something I don#t think of

What do you prefer?



The first variant sounds interesting and would make for a good novel, but the second is the easier one for play. The core bard class (or monte's variant) is a watered down version of the Bards of old. Should some brave soul play the song of reversal on Heward's Mystical Organ, then current bards would be able to rediscover the spell-song and rise to the lost level of power that the Bards once held (via a powerful prestige class).


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THE GANGS

which are the two rival gangs of gatetown?
What are their goals?
Important members?



The two rival gangs of Gatetown are the Acquisitioner's Consortium (a branch of the thieves guild that holds power in the closest large city- made up of halflings and gnomes who specialize in retrieving certain objects for a price) and The Torn Princes (created by a minor noble that was exiled from his homeland- made up of humans and half-elves).

The Acquisitioner's Consortium does not view itself as a thieves' guild as such. According to their leader, Pontifar Five-knives, they are no more a criminal than a librarian. Where a librarian searches among the dusty tomes for the one book that you desire, so the Acquisitioner's Consortium roots through the ubiquitous junk that plagues even small towns and finds whatever it is you need (although it is known that they sometimes "find" stuff among the possessions of others). The goal of the Acquisitioner's Consortium is simply to make money.

The Torn Princes, founded by Prince Abu Naram, is a true thieves' guild. They run protection, prostitution, numbers, shakedowns, and robberies. They have been ousted from another nearby city that recently decided to "clean-up" its seedier districts. Although they are aware that the Acquisitioner's Consortium is not as pervasive in criminal activities, the Torn Princes still view them as a threat to their total domination of the fledgling Gatetown. While the Torn Princes are more combat ready than the rival gang, they have an internal power struggle that prevents them from completely eliminating the Acquisitioner's branch in Gatetown. The current leader, Chaud Brookhart, was responsible for getting them exiled from their former base. One of his underlings, Huri Reinhart, is trying to win the loyalty of the members and take over command of the Torn Princes.


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THE LYRE

a secret sect of (evil) bards
how are they structured
important members
(long term) goals



The Lyre was originally structured as a council of eleven ousted bards. They were the original schemers who plotted the downfall of the major Bards. However, as more potential members were turned away from the Bardic College, the council approached those who seemed to be sypathetic to their cause. The council remained in power for the duration of the original Lyre group, while all new members simply filled a pool of talent that was called upon as needed.

The longterm goal of The Lyre came to fruition with Marhault's song, but the offshoot organization of fanatics continues to plot against major figures. They no longer confine themselves to Bards (although those with Bards for ancestors would do well to not reveal that fact), pointing their evil machinations at kings, queens, wizards, and powerful priests as well. However, unlike the original Lyre, this offshoot is so far more talk than walk.

 

[Brix]

Now that we have some great material it is time to flesh things out. Please contribute your ideas for NPC, Prestige classes, magical items, etc

 

[Brix]

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